Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

First of all thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers over the last year. We have decided to create a blog to have an outlet for anyone who is interested in updates on Lances condition a place to come and be informed. The title of the blog "A future and a hope" comes from Jeremiah 29:11, which is a verse that has given our family alot of comfort through these challenging times. Because as my Dad has said, no matter what happens we have already won! I would encourage you to pass on the location of this site to anyone that you may believe would be interested in updates. -Justin

Friday, April 29, 2011

Elisabeth's 18th birthday is tomorrow, May 1st!! What a blessing she has been to us!! She is on her way to Florida with my brothers family, they have included her on their vacation. They have repeatedly been so good including her! Thank you Bob and Laurie!! We aren't able to do much around here and are pretty boring. She never complains but we are thankful that she will have a special birthday with her cousins although we already miss her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELISABETH!! Thought everyone might enjoy seeing some of Elisabeth's senior pictures! Her cousin came and took them, Thanks Cassie!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Thank you all for your prayers for Chayce (isn't he just the cutest!) and for Lance and I today... for all your faithful prayers for us... Well, the doctor walked in saying "We have a plan", So we knew right away that meant that there was still some cancer left.... BUT it did go down a tiny bit and considering there are only trace amounts left at this time and it didn't go up....we are so thankful!! The goal after transplant is to have NO CANCER left so at this point the plan is.... No more steroids and they are cutting Lance's rejection meds by half and in 2 weeks if he isn't too sick they will take all the rejection meds away. All this is with the hope that Nathans donor cells will grow and specifically that the T-cells will kill off the rest of the cancer. Basically they will be allowing Lance to get more Graft vs. Host which will cause a Graft vs. Leukemia affect. It is all a balancing act....enough to get rid of the cancer but not enough to hurt Lance or get him to sick. Doctor wants Nathan's cells to completely take over, they were doing really good at one month after transplant but have gone down some since then.... She seemed very positive that they will get this figured out... So we would appreciate prayers that this process will go smoothly and that Lance will not get to sick but the cancer cells will!! We are very thankful for such good doctors who care so much and have such knowledge.... But most of all we are thankful that our GOD has the best plan of all for us, a future and a hope.....Penny

Thanks for all the prayers everybody! They were able to find the right antibiotic for Chayce and he gets to come home today! Were so thankful that it wasn't anything to serious!

If you think about it today we'd really appreciate some prayers for my parents. They are going to Iowa City today to find out the test results from my dad's last bone marrow biopsy. Were hoping that they will not find anymore cancer. Well have a good day everyone! Elisabeth

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

This is a picture of my three week old nephew Chayce. He was admitted to the hospital this afternoon because of a possible umbilical cord infection. We'd really appreciate some prayers for him! Thanks! Elisabeth

Friday, April 15, 2011

Wow, time flies!! Had no idea we hadn't posted in almost two weeks. Lance had another bone marrow biopsy on April 8th and so now we wait and pray. We head back down on April 22nd for the results. In the mean time they are tapering Lance off his steroids, he's only taking them every other day now and is hoping that they will let him go off at the next appointment. He so much wants to be able to get back to normal, to work again, and do normal things.... praying that the results will show no more cancer.... Waiting...... Yet trusting as we wait ... Thank you all for praying with us, and thanking God that no matter what our circumstance looks like or feels like.... God is in control and working it all for our good... I've been reading in I Samuel this week the story of David and Goliath.... I've read this so many times over the years but what really struck me this week as I read it was the detailed discription of Goliath and his armor...Goliath was over 9 feet tall, wore a bronze helmet, and he was clothed with armor that weighed over 125 pounds. He had bronze shin guards and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. His spear was like a weavers beam and the shaft weighed 16 pounds and on top of all this he had an attendant, a shield-carrier that walked before him.... WOW!! Who does it LOOK LIKE is going to win? Then there is David, just a youth....David with no armor, David with a sling and 5 smooth stones.... No shield-bearer in front of David....... David came with no VISIBLE armor or shield-bearer, but truly David didn't need any of those things because David had God! The battle wasn't Davids, but the Lord's. It didn't depend on what could be seen....but on God!! So whatever our battle may be... whether it is T-cells vs. Cancer cells or whatever else it might be.... Let us always depend on our living God... not on what we see or feel. So we wait and trust our God, who asks us to just to Trust Him because the battle is His and He holds our future in HIS HANDS!! ---Penny

Sunday, April 3, 2011

I was telling Lance as we went to sleep the other night, that maybe he should not eat ANY sugar as I read somewhere that cancer feeds on sugar.... I'm sure he just loves it when I have these great ideas!! Well the next morning I go to the kitchen to get my coffee (which to some is not considered coffee as I have so much milk and sugar in it). Anyway, I'm getting frustrated as I cannot find the sugar jar....... As I'm getting more and more frustrated.... I just can't wake up without my coffee..... I look over and there HE stands with a BIG grin on his face!!!!! Yep, Lance got up early just to hide my sugar!! I guess I'll let him decide what he wants to eat from now on!! He has been doing little things all week to Elisabeth and I to make us laugh! I read this little quote and thought of Lance, and realized that I have so much to be thankful for, He makes us smile each day! At least after I've had my coffee...... with sugar! ----"The window may be small, but it cannot limit the outlook. Only discontent can do this."--Unknown. ...Our window may be small right now but God's view is so much bigger and better!! So we remember all that God has done already and all that His word promises us for the future..... and thank Him!! --Penny

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Lance and Penny

About Me

My name is Lance. I've been married for 32 years to my wife Penny I've enjoyed every minute of it am looking forward to 32 more. I'm proud to say she is aging much better than me. In fact one the nurses asked me the other night if she was my daughter. I didn't take that as an insult I think she looks good to!! I have three sons and a daughter, eight grandkids and if I could have picked my three daughter-in-laws I could not have done better. I know nothing about blogging or internet so I'm very greatful that my children are smarter than I am.